Hailing all the way from New Zealand, the Corokia—better known as the Zigzag Bush—is a total breeze to care for. If you’re just starting your indoor garden journey, this little guy is perfect for you. Because it’s a slow grower, you won’t need to reach for your pruning shears very often. But when the time eventually comes to tidy it up, there are a few pro tips you should keep in mind.
Pruning Your Zigzag Bush
Since this plant takes its time growing, you’ll only need to prune it every once in a while. The good news? Zigzag bushes are super resilient and handle pruning like a champ. You can even shape them during their active growing phase! If you want a bushier, fuller look, giving the shoots a little trim is actually the secret—it encourages the plant to branch out and grow stronger. The best time to prune is usually in May or between July and September. Here are a few reasons you might want to give it a haircut:
- Keeping the bush in your favorite shape
- Encouraging new branching for a fuller look
- Trimming it back before winter dormancy
- Taking cuttings to grow new baby plants
- Removing any diseased parts
Whenever you prune, make sure your shears are sharp, clean, and ideally disinfected. This prevents jagged edges and keeps your plant safe from any “hitchhiking” diseases from other plants. Always cut at an angle—this is especially important if your plant spends the summer outdoors, as it helps rainwater slide right off and prevents rot. Just be careful not to cut into the old wood; stick to the young, fresh shoots. You can also snip off any wilted flowers to keep it looking tidy. One golden rule: never take off more than a third of the plant at once!
Training Your Zigzag Bush as a Bonsai
Because the Zigzag Bush grows so slowly and is so low-maintenance, it’s a fantastic candidate for growing as a bonsai. It’s a dream for beginners because you can train it into almost any style, from bushy upright shapes to dramatic cascades. Just trim back the long shoots that poke out and mess up the silhouette. If you’re going for a very specific look, you can even use bonsai wire to guide the branches.
You can start your bonsai training once the plant is about two years old, usually when it’s time for its first repotting. This is the perfect moment to trim the roots by about a third while they’re exposed. For a healthy bonsai, you’ll want to keep up with this root pruning about once a year.
